With four good horses, will Geroux rule Arlington Million Day?
Jockey Florent Geroux, who guided The Pizza Man to a neck victory in last year's Arlington Million, returns to Arlington International Racecourse Saturday with more possible success looming.
The French-born jockey, handled by agent Doug Bredar, will ride three morning line favorites and one second choice in Arlington's International Festival of Racing.
Geroux will try to win this year's Million on trainer Mark Casse's World Approval, the 4-1 second choice leaving from post No. 11.
He also pilots the favorites in the Beverly D (Sea Calisi at 2-1), Secretariat Stakes (Beach Patrol at 7-5) and American St. Leger (Da Big Hoss (9-5).
Sea Calisi and Beach Patrol are trained by Chad Brown, and Mike Maker handles the Da Big Hoss.
His agent is no stranger to Arlington's famed track. Bredar is a Maine West High School grad and his wife Caton (Metzler-Bredar), a Barrington High grad, grew up watching the races here. Caton now is a television and radio horse racing personality.
Festival leader:
Trainer Mike Maker saddles seven horses for the Festival, with three in the American St. Leger and two in the Secretariat.
Maker's three starters in the Secretariat ties Mike Stidham for most in one Festival race. Stidham has three starters in the Beverly D.
St. Leger draws 10:
The fifth running of the Grade III $300,000 American St. Leger drew a field of 10 for the marathon race, a 1 11/16-miles turf contest.
Grade II winner Da Big Hoss, claimed by trainer Mike Maker for owners Skychai Racing last June for $50,000, is the 9-5 morningline favorite. The 5-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid has won five straight stakes races when running more than 1ΒΌ miles, including three graded stakes wins.
Jockey Florent Geroux has been aboard the Kentucky bred the last four times, winning three of them.
Celebrity fest:
In addition to the star horses, the International Festival also brings out stars from the sports and entertainment fields.
Howard Sudberry, Arlington's senior marketing and communications director, said fans may catch a glimpse of such celebrities as Mike Ditka, Joel Quenneville, Eddie Olczyk, Denis Savard, James Lovell (commander of Apollo 13) and actress Monica Raymund (Chicago Fire).
United Center singer Jim Cornelison will be on hand for the national anthem.
"And with 35,000 roaring, that performance is something you don't want to miss," said Sudberry.
"I have always told people that you cannot match the combination of drama, excitement and pageantry that surrounds the Arlington Million," Sudberry added. "When Chicagoans are making a check list of the must-do events for summer time in Chicago, the Arlington Million definitely belongs on that list."
Going for four:
Owner Martin Schwartz is hoping to win the Beverly D. for a fourth time when he saddles talented European import Sea Calisi, the morningline favorite.
Schwartz won with English-bred Angara in 2005, French-bred Gorella in 2006 and French-bred Stacelita in 2011.
Like those three champions, the 4-year-old Sea Calisi began her career in France, winning a Group II event and finishing a close third in the Group I Darley Yorkshire Oaks last summer.
Final prep:
Morningline favorite Tryster put in an easy four furlongs on Wednesday in preparation for the Million.
According to Arlington notes writer Bailey Gallison, the 5-year-old Irish bred gelding picked up an easy trot clockwise toward the finish line, stopping for a minute before turning and picking up a light canter in company with trainer Eoin Harty's Kings Creek.
Gallison said Tryster tracked behind his workmate down the stretch, pulling alongside nearing the wire and then was allowed to gallop out past the rival moving into the clubhouse turn.
"I was very happy, he was just (sent out) to stretch his legs down the straight," Godolphin's traveling head lad Chris Connett told Gallison. "The first two furlongs were just a two-minute lick pace, and then he stepped it up. We clocked him going 37 seconds and change from the 3/8 pole to the wire and he galloped out strong. Jo (Hunnam, regular work rider) was pleased with him. It's all systems go for Saturday."
Watch it live:
The Arlington Million will air from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet Chicago. The broadcast will be hosted by Howard Sudberry, Eddie Olczyk, Alyssa Ali and David Kaplan. The Arlington Million will be shown live and the Beverly D. will be a taped playback. First post on Million Day is 12:15 p.m.